Farmer information day at Waiwhakareke

The "right plant in the right place" to help protect the environment is the theme of a farmer information day at the Waiwhakareke Natural Heritage Park in Hamilton on Wednesday 23 June.

"Planting trees and other vegetation in the right place can help farmers protect both the environment and their financial bottom line," said Waikato University’s Professor Bruce Clarkson, a specialist in environmental restoration.

"I encourage farmers to attend the open day at Waiwhakareke as presenters will be giving out a range of valuable technical information."

Waiwhakareke Natural Heritage Park is spread over 60 hectares on a working farm on the north west outskirts of Hamilton, bounded by Baverstock, Rotokauri and Brymer Roads. The vision for the park is to create a self-sustaining habitat sanctuary that represents the original ecosystem diversity of the Hamilton Basin. This involves a reconstruction from farmland of native lowland and wetland ecosystems once widespread but now rare in the Waikato.

This reconstruction is being supported financially by Hamilton City Council, Environment Waikato, the University of Waikato and the Waikato Catchment Ecological Enhancement Trust.

At the 23 June information day, organised by the Waiwhakareke Advisory Committee and Friends of Waiwhakareke, topics to be covered include:

· What to plant where – for example on steep erodable land and wetland margins.

· How to use wetlands as a nutrient/water runoff treatment facility.

· How this working farm is being converted to a natural heritage park for the Waikato region

EW chairman Peter Buckley said: "Work at Waiwhakareke is a very good example of how co-operation between various agencies can help promote environmental protection and more sustainable agriculture. "